Crappie
Fishing is really good, though Crappie on the brush piles have started getting a little picky. That's nothing new for this time of year. Once the water warms and the shad fry mature into 1-inch baitfish, the Crappie get gorged and lethargic, and some days they're really picky. Haydn says some days they just look at his minnows instead of jumping out of the brush for them. He's still catching fish beside structure, but it's nothing like a month or so ago when they were coming off the spawn and really aggressive.
Toby Keith tribute
Jeff has been busy with ICAST, then the Toby Keith tribute event in Nashville. The NBC special, about one to two hours, should air at the end of August according to Toby's wife. It has fantastic performances, including Toby from his last studio session, so tune in.
Catfish
Catfishing is really good and very consistent, with aggressive fish. Drift shad on the main lake, or anchor on islands in 15 to 30 feet of water. If you find a school of Blue Cats on the edge of a drop-off or island, you can catch a lot. Jeff sees more people drift fishing with good equipment and drift socks to slow down. Catfishing has come a long way since he started drift fishing 40 years ago out of a paddle boat on Grand Lake.
Paddlefish / White Bass
Believe it or not, some guys are snagging Paddlefish in summer by chasing them down with LiveScope, nothing like the standard winter and early-spring snagging when the fish are staged in big groups. Tony Coatney has been catching a lot of White Bass with clients around Shangri-La.
Grand Fishing Report group
Join the GrandFishingReport.com Facebook group. Ask questions, because there are a lot of experienced anglers there. Nobody will hand you a waypoint, but they'll help with which plastic worm, soft plastic or Rooster Tail color to throw. Post pictures of your catch. You don't have to say exactly where you caught them.
Dealers
The Grove Walmart end cap has a big assortment of Jimmy Houston and Toby Keith products under a banner, Bigfoot and Toby Keith decals (just five bucks), Scroungers, Lucky Bugs, Swimming Minnows, jerkbaits, big swimbaits, buzzbait and spinnerbait kits, and Crappie Magic crankbaits. Laramie at L&L Outdoors and Trish at Littlefield's say they're putting in orders, so ask them for Luck E Strike products. Also check out Patricia's print-on-demand Grand Lake goodies at OnGrandTime.com.
Thanks
Thanks to GRDA for everything they do around the shores of Grand Lake and to the good folks at KGVE who keep the country music cranking.